


Fegefeuer

by Himmelreich



Category: Aldnoah.Zero (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Gen, M/M, post-canon AU, tags to be added as story progresses
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-29
Updated: 2018-10-07
Packaged: 2019-04-14 09:08:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,799
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14132823
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Himmelreich/pseuds/Himmelreich
Summary: Fegefeuer, das(noun): purgatory; an intermediate state after physical death in which some of those ultimately destined for heaven must first undergo purification for the sins committed during their lifetimeFile number 28S8JK:A collection of records regarding the unsanctioned attempted rescue of Ensign Inaho Kaiduka, MIA after engaging Count Slaine Saazbaum Troyard of the Vers Empire in combat.





	1. In Matters I. K. (file number #28S8JK)

**UFE Internal Communications Notice**  
27-07-2016  
18:42 UTC

> UFE Battleship Deucalion  
> C.O. Captain Darzana Magbaredge

Reporting Ensign Inaho Kaiduka missing in combat as of 18:39 UTC. Deucalion’s Aldnoah Drive has maintained stable output meaning the Ensign is still alive. Requesting immediate assistance in search and rescue. Making for immediate return to Earth while engine remains operational.


	2. shore

The pungent odour of burned metal and rubber is suffocating, and Inaho scrambles away from the wreck on instinct before he even fully registers he has stopped falling.

Loss of consciousness from exposure to fluctuating G force for 137 seconds. System backup running. Replay recording?

It isn’t even a real voice, just a way his brain interprets the alien input, but it is still weirdly comforting to not be alone with his jumbled thoughts. One question is at the forefront of his mind right away, though, no matter how dizzy he might still be.

“Negative. Any instances of cardiac arrest?”

Negative.

 

He exhales slowly, relief washing through his body like a potent narcotic. Everything else about his health has to wait, as long as he is breathing and his heart is beating, the others will no doubt manage to pull through.

The air inside the suit tastes stale on his tongue, and Inaho removes his helmet. The reinforced class has cracked, and he notices there are dark smears to the left side. Inaho frowns as he lets the helmet drop back inside the cockpit. Touching his forehead gently, the fingertips of his gloves come back stained red, but he is still too on edge to register any real pain.

“Location?” he proceeds to ask as he balances on the edge of the opening hatch, looking over the sea that is a vast blanket of darkness, only broken by waves reflecting starlight like brilliant shards of glass. There is a familiar sharp sting behind his left eye socket in return for an answer.

Neural capacity 33 percent. Unable to track location.

“I suppose it’s the old-fashioned way, then.”

 

He lifts his head towards the sky. Partially obscured by clouds, there is a waning moon, most of the Satellite Belt’s core hidden in Earth’s shadow. The destruction and chaos raging up there remain invisible to him as if they never happened, and he has to fight the urge to try and enhance his vision just ever so slightly. Even if he could see, in his position he is unable to influence the battle either way. All that remains for him is to trust that his comrades will surely win.

Inaho closes his left eye and routinely tracks stars and constellations as he has done so many times growing up, when stargazing always meant looking past an orbit ruled by enemy forces. Even if society and interplanetary politics would change fundamentally from this night on, the sky remains immovable.

“Southern hemisphere, roughly 170 degrees East?”

The Analytical Engine doesn’t disagree, and Inaho sighs and lets his gaze drop towards ground level once more. To his left the black mass of an island rises from sea, steep rocks behind a wide expanse of sand, to his right, nothing but the ocean. In front of him, across an area of at least a hundred square metres, he can see metal wreckage scattered on the reef, and undoubtedly smaller parts have sunk to the ocean’s floor covering a much greater area. Sleipnir’s core frame seems to have mostly remained in one piece, at least, although a few limbs and shielding panels short. And directly in front of him, its pearly silver tarnished with soot and its smooth surface cracked from his earlier attacks, rests Tharsis.

 

“Can I get a thermographic image?”

The remaining heat from atmospheric entry and internal damage to the Kataphrakt’s electronics dye the entire metal carcass in hues of orange and red against the turquoise of the sea, but even so, Inaho has enough experience with Analytical Engine’s workings to note the absence of a human body’s warmth that had until just very recently been included in the picture. He dismisses the feed and checks the position of the gun in his thigh holster.

Then, he slowly crouches down and lowers himself into the water. He sinks in to about his chest before his feet hit uneven ground, but the space suit’s thick insulation makes him indifferent to both water temperature and sharp edges of the corals and stones under his feet alike. Inaho plows towards the shore as efficiently as he can, almost slipping and falling twice in the process.

 

He stops only once he reaches dry land, takes a deep breath, and then just listens. There is the rhythmical slow roll of the waves, the soft rustling of leaves above him, his own calm heartbeat, the sharp mechanical sounds of his left eye’s lens adjusting focal length. And then, a splashing sound that cuts through the calm, repeatedly and weighted. Maybe twelve metres away from him, a dark shape is dragging itself further onto the shore, and Inaho draws his weapon, fingers closed tightly around the steel.

The soft sand swallows the sound of his steps, and Slaine doesn’t notice him approaching until he is barely out of arm’s reach. When he finally does turn to look into Inaho’s direction, it is with an expression of little surprise. The water dyed his uniform almost black in the moonlight, a stark contrast to his pale face and hair and the gleaming silver around his neck.

 

Check for concealed firearms negative.

Inaho realises he must have given the order subconsciously, with the amount of brain space he has already surrendered to the artificial intelligence sometimes bringing forth replies to demands never consciously made, catching himself by surprise.

In this case, it was undoubtedly prompted by his own memory, in a surreal reversal of roles. Slaine moves with the same deliberate slowness Inaho can still feel as an echo in his own body as he sits up and smiles. He lifts his left hand, and for a moment Inaho thinks he is about to extend it in a request for help, but he moves past that, tipping against his forehead in an unequivocal challenge.

 

This was the end he had wished for the most, Slaine said, and Inaho can see the unwavering acceptance in his eyes. The roll of the waves is like a moving hand on the clock, counting moments stretching into perceived eternities as Inaho feels himself teetering on the edge of an impending judgement call, his finger resting against the trigger guard.

Replay yesterday’s recording of Seylum’s request?

If two people asked you for opposing favours, how do you choose the right one to grant? Go by which person you empathised with more, or by who asked you first?

No comparable statistics for this scenario available. Unable to connect to wider network. Retry?

Of course there was no comparable scenario to this, Inaho thinks with a sense of vague amusement. This right here isn't the first time he finds himself in the position of granting someone a coup de grace, but Slaine isn’t just any enemy soldier. The variables of his case make a quick and easy verdict utterly impossible.

A fellow Terran by birth, Asseylum’s childhood friend, an unexpected ally in the time of dire need, a ruthless murderer, a cunning warmonger, a vengeful opponent. Which of these should weigh more than the others?

 

“What are you waiting for?”

Slaine’s voice is hoarse from his earlier shouting, and it pulls Inaho out of his frozen state. This isn’t about a general moral dilemma, this is about a living person right in front of him, he makes himself remember, and that means only one thing.

“I’m asking you again: Do you surrender now?”

Slaine lets his hand drop to his side, all traces of his taunting smile gone. What remains is a weariness that transcends today’s battle, transcends the entire past few days of escalation. Maybe even years, if Inaho was to guess.

“This is the end,” he says, tired. “Either which way. What does it matter what I do or say?”

“I want to hear you confirm it.”

The look he gets in return makes clear that Slaine probably takes it as an act of humiliation towards the defeated party, no doubt a very Versian thing to do. Inaho wonders if he was supposed to feel satisfaction upon this sight, the man whose capture he devoted his single focus on, finally beaten, at his feet. The idea of taking joy in Slaine’s suffering is surreal.

 

“If that’s what it takes.” The unsettling smile returns to Slaine’s face as he brings his hand to his chest with great flourish and proclaims: “I, Count Slaine Saazbaum Troyard of the Vers Empire, hereby officially acknowledge my defeat in combat and surrender to my captor unconditionally. Now, if you were so kind to end this whole charade, Orange, I’d appreciate it.”

His tone for the last words is casual again, in crass opposition with the content of his statement. He is holding himself perfectly still now, looking straight at Inaho. From this distance, there is no chance a bullet would miss.

“Understood.”

Recording saved.

Inaho switches the safety back on before re-holstering his gun. Slaine’s eyes narrow instantly, and Inaho can feel his mood shift.

“What are you doing?”

“You should take off your clothes,” Inaho says, taking a step back and turning his attention demonstratively towards measuring up the terrain of the island.

No network connection available. Thermographic image request at low resolution provided. No trace of human infrastructure.

 

“I- Take- What?”

Inaho smiles and marks that down as another success of his distraction strategy. As much as he wants to hinder Slaine from dwelling on the situation, he knows that it is partly for his own sake as well. The upcoming consequences of his actions are vowing for his attention, but at this point, Inaho can’t afford to worry just yet.

“Even with this outside temperature, with wet clothes like that you risk hypothermia. Or at least a cold, especially given you haven’t been exposed to Earth’s atmosphere in a while.”

“We’ve just fallen all the way from the stratosphere and crashed in the middle of the ocean, and you worry about catching a cold? Are you an idiot?” Slaine draws out the words in order to stress the absurdity of it, but when Inaho turns back to look at him, he finds at least his flare of anger seems to have died down for now.

“It’s not the first time I’ve made that distance, and a cold could lead to pneumonia could lead to death. So no, I’m being entirely serious.”

 

Slaine shakes his head in disbelief, but to Inaho’s surprise, he actually seems to follow the advice, unbuttoning the heavy coat with slow, slightly stiff movements.

“Are you hurt?”

“A few bruises, probably nothing that’s going to kill me, sadly. I’ve lived through worse.” It sounds incidental the way he says it as he casually discards the jacket and then the shawl, leaving the insignia of Versian nobility to get covered by sand. “You should worry about yourself. You’re bleeding, Orange.”

Distress call failed. No radio transmitters on UFE frequency close by. Try again?

“Just a graze, I’m fine,” Inaho replies distractedly. He doesn’t have to add that he has lived through worse, because they both are very much aware of this part of their shared history.

“Suit yourself.”

Slaine lets himself drop back into the sand, staring up at the sky above him. The thin white shirt clings to his ribs and Inaho feels cold from just looking at him even in this balmy night air. He is very much grateful that the insulation meant for space does its job just as well on Earth.

 

“So, what happens now?”

“This island seems to be uninhibited, so what’s best for now is stay close the wreckage. They’ll come for us soon.”

Slaine tilts his head back to catch Inaho’s eyes, expression sardonic.

“I wonder who it’ll be. For a moment there, I thought I was fine with dying at your hands, but maybe-”

“You won't die,” Inaho cuts him off decidedly.

He gets a low hum in response as Slaine shuts his eyes.

 

“This is the end,” he repeats softly. “This is as far as I go. It doesn’t matter what you decide.”

The memory of the first aid lessons at school resurface in Inaho’s mind, and he wonders if it is alright to let a person in Slaine’s state fall asleep or if he should keep him awake by force at all cost. But something about the way his expression eases up as his consciousness fades, an expression of peacefulness stealing onto his face which Inaho had never seen on the broadcasts even when Slaine had been at the height of his power, has him think that just now, he should grant Slaine a moment of respite.

So instead of waking him, Inaho settles into a comfortable sitting position next to him in the sand, just shy of the high water line.

 

As dawn slowly creeps upon them, the first rays of the sun dyeing the sky pale gold, Inaho lets his mind wander. No doubt the Deucalion would have been called back to Earth once they noticed its power source was no longer around, and most likely all of his friends and his sister would be back on solid ground by now as well. He only caught glimpses of the Princess’ speech, but by allying with Cruhteo and his loyalist faction, she should have gained the upper hand among the Martian forces once more.

The logical conclusion is that the war truly is over, but that feels even more surreal than sitting here next to the man who once shot him point blank sleeping soundly, as Inaho is watching the sun rise.

 

Exhaustion doesn’t come slowly, but sucker-punches him with the reminder that he hasn’t gotten proper rest ever since operation Lunar Gate began, and even before that, if he was being honest with himself. Inaho barely manages to remove the gloves and unload his gun as quietly as possible, stashing the magazine safely away in between the layers of his undershirt and the suit before he collapses, all thought drifting into darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy 3rd year anniversary to Aldnoah.Zero's finale! I can't believe it's been that long, and yet... In other news, hello, it is I indeed. I suppose some explanations are in order.
> 
> This fic was originally intended to be my contribution to dearest Rosiel's Aldnoah Fanbook, the theme being Heavenly/Hellish. Personal and health problems at the time kept me from being able to finish it, and I apologise to all the people I caused trouble. I kept thinking of this draft a lot over the past year, and how much I regretted abandoning it. The first chapter was finished, so I thought I would post it on the occasion, and maybe try to finally bring this piece to conclusion. No doubt its final form will have changed a lot from what it was originally intended to be, but maybe it's off better for it? We shall see! I can't promise how long it will take for me to finish this, but I will try my best to do it.
> 
> A proper A/N will follow, as usual, once the project is concluded.


	3. In Matters I. K. (file number #28S8JK)

**Transcript of the Informal Preliminary Hearing #5 in Matters I. K. (file number #28S8JK)**  
Date: 10-08-2016 15:03 (UCT+3)  
Location: United Forces of Earth Base Port Aden, YE  
Transcript by: Lt. Tomas Staffeldt (audio recording filed under AF #2830/82)  
Duration: 59:43  
Persons: HÄK Eelis Häkkinen, UFE Vice Admiral  
         PÄL Georg Pältzer, UFE Lieutenant  
         MAZ Mazuurek, Orbital Knight of the Vers Empire

 

PÄL | Please state your name and affiliation for the record.  
---|---  
MAZ | Count Mazuurek of the 37 Clans of Orbital Knights, vassal to Her Royal Highness Empress Asseylum Vers Allusia.  
PÄL | Ah. Very well. Thank you for agreeing to come and give testimony, we appreciate your cooperation.  
MAZ | Isn’t that degree of accommodation to be expected among allies?  
HÄK | Not everyone seems to be as at ease with working with us as you.  
MAZ   | Hmm, is that so.  
HÄK | I assume you’ve been informed as to why we asked you here today, Sir Mazuurek?  
MAZ | Indeed I have. So, what in particular do you want to know?  
PÄL | Everything you can tell us about your involvement with the unsanctioned search and rescue operation conducted by Captain Darzana Magbaredge and her crew. You might help us clarify some detail.  
MAZ | Aah, let me think about where to start. Right. Well, during the battle against Troyard’s faction, I wasn’t able to actively partake in actual combat, considering you lot still held my Kataphrakt in this facility here. So all I could do was offer support with helping arrest the partisans and bring in stranded Kataphrakt pilots.  
HÄK | Did you act under the Empress’ command?  
MAZ | No, but with her explicit consent. For Her Royal Highness’ safety, she remained on my Landing Castle in orbit under Count Cruhteo’s protection while trying to contact the Knights on Earth to get them to cease any hostilities. I acted on my own volition in sending out my forces.  
HÄK | When did you learn of the Deucalion’s situation?  
MAZ | I got notified immediately when we noticed the ship was leaving her position Earthbound while the battle was still not yet finished. On making radio contact, I was informed they had lost any and all contact with Inaho Kaiduka.  
PÄL | Whom you had been conspiring with against the United Forces in the past.  
MAZ | Hah. Is that a question?  
HÄK | Not today, no. Let me rephrase, you had personal interest in his well-being?  
MAZ | Of sorts. In any case, the entire ship and her crew was doomed if he died unless someone on board could restart the Aldnoah Drive.  
HÄK | Which prompted you to ask permission to board the ship.  
MAZ | There wasn’t much else I could have done at that point. Multiple eyewitnesses had seen Inaho Kaiduka engage Slaine Saazbaum Troyard in close combat before his communication systems went offline and he disappeared from the grid. Given there was no trace of either of them within orbit, it stood to reason they got caught up in Earth’s gravitational pull and were dragged towards the surface.  
PÄL | What was your verdict?  
MAZ | Verdict? As to the most likely outcome of the situation, you mean? Well, you can survive a drop from the stratosphere in a Kataphrakt as long as you’re able to break your fall, which means as long as the frame’s emergency system isn’t too badly damaged. After a fight that intense as witnessed, chances weren’t all to high Kaiduka would have escaped unscathed, although back then of course I hoped he would.  
PÄL | What about Troyard?  
MAZ | I was quite certain he wouldn’t be found alive. Ah, you look like you expected me to say different. Consider that his rebellion had failed and Her Royal Highness had publicly renounced him as her servant and fiancé, rendering any of his position and influence worthless. For a Knight of Vers, that’s worse than death already. So, under these circumstances, it’s better to die in combat than be hanged a traitor, don’t you think?  
HÄK | So in your opinion, committing suicide would have been a likely decision for him to make?  
MAZ | Suicide, hmm. Let me put it like this: I do believe Troyard sought out and engaged Inaho Kaiduka with the clear intent of dying at his hands, no matter what. And Troyard has proven himself to be the kind of person who doesn’t take half-measures, wouldn’t you agree?  
  
    [....]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My special thanks and neverending gratitude this chapter go to Sensei, who singlehandedly saved me from giving up on this fic right away on grounds of not being able to code skins, like, at all. Bless your soul.
> 
> “Kaiduka” is the official spelling of the siblings’ last name in all official material. As far as I’m aware, this has to do with the different systems used for romaji transcription (Hepburn vs. Kunrei-shiki), but as it’s pronounced “Kaizuka”, that’s the spelling the international distribution went with as not to confuse fans. With that in mind, I decided to stick to “Kaiduka” in official records, but “Kaizuka” within the story context for this fic.
> 
> ~~Yes, tags and summary are purposefully vague due to this being drafted for a fanbook format originally. It will hopefully make sense at a later point in time.~~


	4. shore

He wakes up, feeling disoriented and exhausted, to the dull throbbing of a headache and the sting of a sore neck. He can feel the additional strain of the Analytical Engine booting up, but does his best trying to ignore it as he struggles to regain his bearings. Sitting up, he almost falls back again into the soft sand when dizziness overcomes him.

Sand? Why was there- He blinks at the ground in confusion for a moment, before he suddenly remembers everything with burning urgency. The battle, the crash, the deserted beach, Slaine Troyard-

Inaho jumps to his feet, ignoring the flash of pain and vertigo, but there’s no-one next to him, just thrown up sand and the deep red velvet coat of a Versian count.

His hand flies to his holster the same instant as the observation sinks in, but he finds the gun undisturbed. The mere fact that he woke up at all was probably a good sign, at least when it came to his own survival.

He blinks against the brightness of the day, trying to gain an overview of the situation. He can’t have slept long, for the sun hasn’t remotely crested yet. They’ve landed on the south-western side of the island, and he’s suddenly acutely aware of the heat of the day disagreeing with his insulating spacesuit.

Body temperature 37.6°C. Neural capacity 30 percent. Trauma injuries and dehydration requiring medical attention.

Inaho hardly pays attention to the input, preoccupied with mapping out the footprints in the sand, leading down the slope, towards the shoreline. He can’t see Slaine from his current position, and he tells himself it’s because of the rocks obscuring stretches of the surf, and not because of something worse. 

Chances of a suicide due to Count Slaine Saazbaum Troyard’s emotional state-

This time, he discards the feed straight on. Walking is exhausting in the suit on such soft ground, and he feels unusual uncertainty gnaw at him.

How could I ever explain to Seylum that I managed to save his life, only to have him die because I foolishly fell asleep, he wonders. He doesn’t try to evaluate more closely how he himself would feel about it. All the navel-gazing regarding his actions in this war would have to wait until everything was over, and maybe then some. Or be scrapped entirely. That sounded like a good prospect.

The first thing he spots peeking out behind one of the clusters of black - Most likely volcanic - rock is a pair of black leather boots outfitted for zero gravity platforms, just shy of the waterline.

Then, he sees Slaine.

 

He has waded knee-deep into the water, standing rooted to the spot as the gentle waves barely make him sway. His head is turned towards the dazzlingly bright horizon, and in the daylight, Inaho realises that from their current vantage point, there’s no trace of a another coastline or ships in sight. He sets the thought aside for later and refocuses his attention on Slaine.

His rolled up maroon trousers, cummerbund and loose white ruffled shirt have Inaho think of the illustrations on the pirate-themed romance novels they sold at the station’s bookstore for cheap. Yuki had once brought some home she said she received as a joke gift from a coworker at the staff Christmas party, something about a noble lady and a swashbuckling rogue captain of the high seas becoming castaways on some romantic tropical island. He himself feels quite out of place in this context now, wearing a space suit and all.

Slaine doesn’t seem to have noticed him, and Inaho is somewhat at a loss how to address him. Last night, he didn’t pay much mind to how his decision would work out in the long term. He assumed they would be rescued and taken into custody shortly, and dealing with Slaine would be mostly out of his hands. Slaine didn’t turn on him after waking up, and neither does it seem he is about to kill himself. But there was no telling how things would go from here on out.

Inaho frowns. This kind of uncertainty isn’t usually something he has to deal with. The people in his immediate usual surroundings, he knows, and they know him. This man right here is a familiar stranger, one whose actions in combat he could predict perfectly fine, but whose personality off the battlefield is a complete mystery to him, still.

In the end, it was probably best to proceed as always before he ended up overthinking every single thing.

 

“You should be careful not to suffer sunstroke,” he calls out, and Slaine flinches in surprise, then turns to face him.

It is the first time, Inaho realises, that he gets to study him up close in person, their previous encounters blurred memories of physical pain and combat adrenaline. The shadows beneath Slaine’s eyes tell that he probably didn’t sleep any better than Inaho had, and the skin on his high cheekbones is slightly reddened already. He was risking the sunburn of a century if he kept basking in the sunlight like that as a denizen of space.

“You,” Slaine replies after a moment of silence, voice soft but gaze sharp, “worry about the strangest of things.”

“I didn’t notice you leave.”

“You were completely out of it. I honestly thought you were dead for a second.” A sarcastic smile tugs at his lips. “Now, that would have just been splendid, being found at this godforsaken beach, next to your corpse. I’m sure that’d go over well with the UFE.”

“No sign of them?” Inaho asks, ignoring Slaine’s words. There was no use in getting riled up about them, especially considering that he had once already left behind what he presumed to be Inaho’s corpse.

“What do you think? A ship came by a few hours ago and asked if we needed help, but I said we’re fine.”

When Inaho doesn’t react to the blatant cynicism, Slaine turns his gaze back to the horizon. 

“No-one’s shown up yet.”

 

It was the obvious answer, but it still causes a sudden sinking feeling in Inaho’s stomach.

There were a number of reasonable explanations for the delay in a rescue operation. A battle of the scale of that against Slaine’s last stand would no doubt strain available resources and manpower, and he doesn’t know if all fights on Earth truly stopped upon Seylum’s command. The UFE was probably just still busy trying to put out multiple wild fires, and with Sleipnir’s systems damaged as they were, they couldn’t easily track him without a more intensive search. It was all logical-

Ensign Inaho Kaizuka as the only Aldnoah holder on UFE side and Count Slaine Saazbaum Troyard as leader of the enemy faction would be seen as the absolute high priority subjects to recover.

Thank you for your input, Inaho thinks grimly.

“Who knows, maybe no-one’s coming.” Slaine’s voice is soft and calm. Inaho’s attention is drawn back towards him by the motion of him seemingly unconsciously closing his right hand tightly around the pendant. Seylum’s pendant, Inaho used to think of it as once, but it really had always been his.

“Of course they are.”

His voice comes out rougher than usual, not as certain as he would like in this moment.

Neural capacity at 29 percent.

 

“I’m not sure. Does this feel real to you?”

Now Inaho is really confused, and he is not entirely sure it is merely due to lack of hydration to his brain.

“Come again?” 

“I’ve been wondering if I didn’t burn to ashes after all.” Slaine lifts his hand up to his face, eyeing it as if he expected it to turn see-through. “It makes no sense otherwise.”

Inaho suppresses the urge to reach out and slap the other man to acertain him that all of this was quite real. But their situation here is still too volatile and might turn sideways at any moment. His gun isn’t currently loaded, and standing up close to Slaine now, and having experienced his anger in combat before, Inaho would really prefer to not test his chances.

“Check your pulse,” he advises instead. “You’re heart’s beating.” 

“That doesn’t mean I’m not dead.”

“You’re not making sense.”

Voice pattern analysis normal. No sign of exceptional distress or anguish hinting at acute psychosis.

Inaho frowns. Somewhere in the last twelve hours, things had begun slipping from his control. This was not something he could deal with by swift action, and he suddenly direly wishes Yuki was at his side. He has no doubt that she could bring Slaine to his senses.

 

“Who says that to those who’ve already died it doesn’t seem as if they’re still alive?”

“So you think this is the afterlife?”

Slaine tilts his head in thought, still facing away from Inaho and staring into the distance.

“I’ve never paused to think about how I’d imagine it. Or if I imagined anything to come after death at all, other than nothingness and people eventually forgetting about you and everything you’ve achieved.”

It is hard to tell if the idea was relieving or depressing to him, his tone remaining unchanged. 

Inaho exhales deeply.

“Then what gives you the idea being stranded on a Pacific island with me is the afterlife?”

He himself hasn’t thought about such things much, either - it was much more productive to focus on positive scenarios, no matter how mundane, to motivate oneself to stay alive during fights, and while Yuki has insisted on keeping a shrine in memory of their parents in their flat, Inaho has never felt much of a connection to this more spiritual approach, given he didn’t even have a memory of them to begin with.

 

Now, Slaine turns to face him, and he’s giving him that utterly insincere half smile Inaho knows from the broadcasts.

“Being stuck forever with the one person who destroyed everything for me and is the epitome of my failure as both a warrior and a person? I don’t know, that sounds like a plausible version of hell to me.” 

The words’ harshness is offset by the calm way in which Slaine says them, as if his defeat was not so much a personal sentiment as much as a universally acknowledged fact to him.

“I’m sorry to disappoint you, but as far as I’m concerned, I’m very much still alive.”

He does not need to ask his Analytical Engine for that. He can feel his heartbeat, picking up as he tries to reign in his increasing irritation.

“And what makes you so sure of that?”

 

Maybe he shouldn’t have let Slaine fall asleep with a potential head injury yesterday after all. This should all sound like a madman’s rambling, someone telling you that you had no certain way of knowing you hadn’t actually died and moved on to some other plane of existence that seemed to be real to you, but for all it was worth, he seemed entirely lucid to Inaho now, eyes keen and focussed.

“I can’t die,” Inaho says simply. And, when Slaine just raises his eyebrows in question: “If I had died, a lot of people would be in danger. Plus, I don’t want to die, either.”

“You’ve surely pulled some suicidal manoeuvres for someone who doesn't want to die.” 

“I've never done anything where my chances of survival were zero percent.”

“And that holds true even now?”

“They’re looking for us. We will be found, that’s not the question, and it's only a matter of time. Both of us are alive and well, considering the circumstances. Those aren’t the worst odds I’ve ever faced.”

Body temperature 37.7°C. Neural capacity 28 percent. Dehydration requiring immediate medical attention.

He can read on Slaine’s face that he knows even without an Analytical Engine that there are a few more variables to their current circumstances than just being alive in this very moment.

 

The most dangerous thing about survival situations, Inaho hears the voice of Marito during their Emergency Situations and Life Safety lessons echo in his memory, is that very often, people don’t realise they are in one until it’s too late to take any measures to actually ensure their continued survival. Human stupid optimism only too often crossed into flat-out denial, he added off-script, so you need to take care and evaluate your circumstances very carefully.

They were stranded on an uninhabited island with no coastline in eyesight, obviously malfunctioning tracking systems on Sleipnir, and while Inaho is certain that they are being looked for, there is no telling how long it would take for help to arrive.

No, this was, by all means and parameters, a survival situation.

Priorities in survival situations are in order of vital importance securing of freshwater, securing of a shelter, marking the location for rescuers, securing of food.

ESLS lessons had prepared him plenty for hypothetical scenarios even without the additional input, but none of them had covered one major point he would have to tackle now.

 

How did you go about all of this with your unrestrained former adversary being there alongside you?  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> /shows up half a year late with Pumpkin Spice Latte
> 
> I’m very, very sorry. I had no intention to drag this out as much as I did, believe me! This summer took some turns and dips, and in between all of that, I kind of lost all but the entirety of my writing steam. (Apologies also to those who saw me advertising the AZ Rare Pair event only to then not post anything - there’s a WIP that I will definitely post one day, but deadlines just cause me utter paralysis at this point to be frank).
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this very belated chapter nonetheless! Thank you all so much for your patience and your kind comments. My special thanks this time go to my deer friend and her friend A. who helped me translate Основы безопасности жизнедеятельности. Considering that Inaho grew up in the Cold Interplanetary War atmosphere and that the USSR is actually a founding member of the UFE, I thought him having a subject like that at school would make sense. (Russian schools are hardcore, people. ~~HARSH LIKE WINTER IN THE TUNDRA, HARSH LIKE MY FATHER.~~ )
> 
> I learned a lot about survival situations and their psychology from [otherhand.org](http://otherhand.org/). The story of the Death Valley Germans is a riveting, if also deeply unsettling read.


	5. In Matters I. K. (file number #28S8JK)

**Transcript of the Informal Preliminary Hearing #9 in Matters I. K. (file number #28S8JK)**  
Date: 11-08-2016 08:37 (UCT+3)  
Location: United Forces of Earth Base Port Aden, YE  
Transcript by: Sgt. Alco So (audio recording filed under AF #3708/92)  
Duration: 46:03  
Persons: HÄK Eelis Häkkinen, UFE Vice Admiral  
         PÄL Georg Pältzer, UFE Lieutenant  
         KAI Yuki Kaiduka, UFE Warrant Officer

 

PÄL    | All right, let’s continue. This is the ninth unofficial hearing regarding the unsanctioned attempted rescue mission of Ensign Inaho Kaiduka, file number 28S8JK, second interrogation of the subject present. Please state your name and rank for the record.  
---|---  
KAI | Kaiduka, Yuki. Warrant Officer serving on the Deucalion under Captain Magbaredge’s command and Leader of the Mustang Platoon.  
PÄL | Currently suspended.  
KAI | (pause) Currently suspended.  
PÄL | Today, we simply want to formally go over some questions regarding your initial written report again. I want to remind you that this is an informal hearing, Officer Kaiduka. We’re not interested in getting you in trouble over disregarding chain of command-  
HÄK | In a situation of emotional duress that was very understandable-  
PÄL | Ah, that-  
KAI | Oh, really?  
PÄL | No. Not now, anyway.  
KAI | That’s very reassuring, Lieutenant.  
HÄK | Officer Kaiduka, we don’t want to give you the impression we’re doing this merely to antagonise you and your comrades. We’re merely trying to understand what happened.  
KAI | I understand.  
PÄL | (coughs) In any case, at the moment we’re mostly concerned with investigating the circumstances surrounding Captain Magbaredge’s ill-advised act of insubordination-  
KAI | I wouldn’t categorise the Captain’s actions as-  
HÄK | According to our transmission logs, you received clear orders to remain on the base once the Deucalion returned to Earth, and hold yourselves available in case of emergency. You mentioned in your initial report that you saw reasonable justification to disobey that order, would you care to elaborate on that?  
KAI | I made a promise.  
PÄL | A promise?  
KAI | That Nao [Inaho Kaiduka] and I would go for dinner after the battle was over.  
PÄL | (pause) You- you made a promise to your brother about food-  
KAI | Do you have siblings, Lieutenant?  
PÄL | I don’t.  
KAI | Then you can’t understand. You don’t just idly sit around in the ship’s Aldnoah chamber, staring at the engine and waiting until the lights flicker and go out to show that your only brother has died-  
HÄK | Officer, please calm-  
KAI | I wasn’t going to simply stay back while everyone seemed to think that him dying was the inevitable result-  
PÄL | Be assured, we did everything in our power to find him on time-  
KAI | He wasn’t the one you were really looking for, was he.  
PÄL | (pause) Your brother was majorly responsible for sabotaging Mission Lunar Gate. We had to make sure he hadn’t done something similarly dangerous in regards to Troyard.  
KAI | If you had succeeded in assassinating the Princess back then, all of us would be dead now, Lieutenant. If only you had trusted Nao’s [Inaho Kaiduka’s] judgement, none of this would have happened and he wouldn’t be-  
  
[....]


End file.
